Electrical connector having improved latching mechanism

An electrical connector assembly comprising:

• a male connector having a dielectric body defining an aperture on a top wall thereof;
• and
• a female connector mated with the male connector, the female connector including:
• an insulative housing defining a plurality of cavities for receiving a plurality of terminals therein and having a top face,
• a latch member formed on the top face and having a deflectable portion in a spaced relationship to the top face, the deflectable portion forming a locking protrusion locking with the aperture of the male connector, and
• an actuator member formed on the top face, the actuator member having a pair of arced ribs extending from the top face, an anti-overstress bar connected between the pair of arced ribs and located above the latch member for limiting deflection of the deflectable portion of the latch member relative to the top face of the insulative housing, and a handle extending from the anti-overstress bar for receiving an operation force to the actuator member;
• wherein
• the deflectable portion of the latch member further includes a pair of cantilevered beams respectively extending from the base portions and substantially parallel to the top face of the insulative housing, and a cross bar connecting the cantilevered beams with each other;
• wherein
• the anti-overstress bar locates above the cantilevered beams and has a contact portion at a lower end thereof to press the cantilevered beams downward by applying a pressing force on the handle.

An electrical connector comprising:

• an insulative housing defining a front-to-back direction and a mating port at a front end thereof;
• a latch member extending around a rear portion of the insulative housing toward said front end, a forward locking protrusion located around a free end section of said latch member opposite to a fixed end thereof, a middle portion located between the fixed end and the locking protrusion;
• and
• an actuation member being discrete from said latch member and extending from the insulative housing and defining a pressing bar facing said middle portion opposite to said insulative housing;
• wherein
• said actuation member is deflectable toward the insulative housing to have the pressing bar press the middle portion toward the insulative housing and thus have the latch member deformed toward the insulative housing so as to move the locking protrusion toward the insulative housing in a direction generally perpendicular to said front-to-back direction;
• wherein
• said pressing bar prevents the latch member from being overstressed away from the insulative housing;
• wherein
• said actuation member includes a handle extending to the rear portion of the insulative housing.